Sunday, June 15, 2008

Review: Outtakes from a Marriage

This new novel, written by the wife of actor Denis Leary, primarily focuses on the idea of "what would you do if you thought your husband was cheating on you?"

Julia Ferraro is a woman married to a popular television star, wondering whether or not he's having an affair, while still trying to balance the cutthroat nature of Manhattan's pre-school society, the complexities of a teenage daughter, and the maintenance involved with keeping up the Hollywood ideal of beauty as time marches on.

I couldn't help but wonder, throughout, how much of this novel was autobiographical, whether in large chunks or bits and pieces here and there. Leary knows whereof she speaks, which lends a great deal of authenticity to her work.

It was a fascinating journey through, roughly, a month in the life of this character, also shown through flashbacks, as you wonder how it will all turn out. I have to admire Leary for her dark humor; there were quite a few one-liners that made me laugh out loud. She certainly knows how to turn a phrase.

Her obvious closeness with the subject matter she chose to undertake in her novel, again, gives this book detail that would be impossible for an outsider to pen. Although the primary subject matter, infidelity, is serious, it's an entertaining read.